1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an articulation device for a motor vehicle hatchback closure, especially a rear door, which is mounted pivotally on the vehicle body structure.
The invention relates more particularly to an articulation device in which the hatchback closure is mounted pivotally, especially between a first closed extreme position and a second open extreme position, by means of a mechanism with two parallel articulation axes linked by at least one connecting rod.
2. Discussion of the Background
Such a device is described and illustrated in, for example, French Patent Application FR A 2717213.
In that document, use is made of a pair of parallel rods, a first front end of which is pivoted on the vehicle body structure around a first articulation axis, the second rear end of which is pivoted on the hatchback closure around a second articulation axis, parallel to the first articulation axis, and means are provided for automatically controlling the pivoting movement of the hatchback closure relative to the second end of the rod by the pivoting movement of the first end of the rod relative to the vehicle body structure.
Such a design makes it possible in particular to ensure articulation of a vehicle rear door, manipulation of which then requires only slight effort to move from closed position to an open position, and which can be manipulated without much effort from the closed position to the fully open position.
In French Patent Application FR A 2739349 there was proposed a use of such an articulation device more particularly to ensure the mounting pivotally of a door which, in closed position, extends in a substantially vertical plane and which, in open position, extends in a substantially horizontal plane above the vehicle.
When the rear portion of a vehicle is equipped with such a door, as is the case, for example, in vehicles of the "monospace" type, the rear door has large dimensions and mass.
This second document therefore proposes, to facilitate manipulation of the door, incorporating in the articulation device means for balancing the hatchback closure by applying thereto a balancing couple which compensates for the resisting couple due to the mass of the hatchback closure.